" What is tolerance?...it is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly....that is the first law of nature" - Voltaire

I am feeling a bit awed, confused and beaten right now. I cannot think straight. My mind is full of what I have been reading and hearing.

It confused me, it hurts me and it drains me. I like to chat, write e-mails ; I like to get into contact with people and I enjoy the intelligent exchange of ideas , that even though rare , does happens occasionally in forums.

But instead of giving me joy, I get disillusioned by a lot of what I see and read ; I become more bitter and cynical with each passing day. I want to hold on desperately to my belief « that people are good ».

Recently, one of the E-groups I participated in, a woman posted about a « Ban on living together » in a community. Comments flowed in. Some members raved about the Sins from their religious beliefs , the Holy book condemns this and that..therefore all are damned, while we desperately try to point out our very humanly views and opinions on « living together ». In the end , it only made us depressive and we become intolerant to the intolerant !.

Being the category of behaviour not thought, tolerance has to be restricted only in its relation to unjust human behaviour. For those who simply accept imposed attitudes and thoughts it is also easy to believe that they are their own, and furthermore to passionately fight for and defend them before others.

One of the most significant examples of this process is brainwashing media manipulation in the totalitarian systems. On one side, manipulated individuals are losing personal consciousness and personal morals, and, on the other side, imposed principles become common moral principles and exist as universal truth. (The rare individuals who are aware of their freedoms are on the lower moral level and rejected by society.)

How can individual be responsible for acts and behaviour that are being led and directed by someone else? From the other side, if an individual is not able to think and feel freely, then he or she is not free at all.

The problem of tolerance is essentially controversial. Broad-mindedness has to be restricted in order to secure the principle of equality (comparable rights and freedoms of everyone). But necessary limitations must not affect the fundamental human rights and freedoms (such as right to life, liberty, security, thought, etc.)

These values are fairness, reason, understanding, and a respect of and compassion for all living things. WE must use our human abilities- of reason, understanding, and being able to control ourselves by using our will - to live in a way which does as little harm, as little damage, to all human beings- as possible.-

Others should respect our beliefs - as we respect theirs - and accord us our natural right to live among our own kind in our own communities. But if they do not respect our beliefs and accord us our natural rights, then we will have no option but to fight for our rights, our freedom, our dignity, and our honour, for we have the right to defend ourselves, our kin, and our communities, if necessary by using lethal force.

Let's break this down. He/she is cheating on his/her wife/husband. I say he's an adulterer/adulteress. He is lying to his wife. I say he is a liar. He is putting his wife at risk for emotional devastation & physical illness (AIDS, std's) I say I will not tolerate that.

I then receive replies detailing some on very personal attack. They say this stuff like it's a bad thing to say it's ok for" two people to live together, it's their choice" we are not talking about 2 men or 2 girls as in homosexual living together. Ssshhh!! I MUST NOT MENTION ADULTERY or Other Oh my God sins because the people who "Banned" are either doing it or involved in some other sins.

Let's wait until they regret, get themselves sanctified, get over their sins...till they decide to Ban it too for our good. And for the welfare of the society, we must obey. If we disobey, we are regarded as kinks and outcasts in a society. Ufffff!!!

What boggles my mind is that these people don't seem to remember that we are all well, PEOPLE ...none of these people was born with whip in hand, all of them found wisdom at some later point in their lives. Were they always so discipline and straight? This has nothing to do with culture morality nor religion.

NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

This has all to do with "showing superiority over other people". Protesting for the unjust judgement and treatment of your fellow being is about doing the right thing, being a decent person, caring for someone other than yourself and NOT only concerning yourself with what YOU want.

So I have come to a conclusion, it's the only explanation that makes sense to me. The people who talk about all this morality & acceptance of their impostments & judgements think they are holy. That has to be it.

They see themselves as redeemers & because they participate in things that they have been taught are immoral, they feel that having authority and passing totalitarian laws on lesser humans...they have in essence, desensitized themselves to their own sins.They damned all other behaviour they think immoral,so they can feel normal , superior and holy.

I would like to end this article on this very straight and outspoken notes from one of my e-group members;

------"Or perhaps it's people sick of all the usual problems (corruption, ethnic warfare, religious hypocrisy, HIV etc etc) and they just wanna change the subject....

I suggest a trip to the zoo as a surefire remedy. There you can visit caged animals to your heart's content, maybe throw a couple a peanuts to the monkeys if they do cute tricks...yank on the elephant's chain and go nyah-nyah-nyah....marvel at the exotic parrots as they flap against the roof....stare the lion in the eye and dare it to eat you...I guarantee such deep and meaningful experiences will leave you fully assured of your innate superiority and you need never bother your lesser fellow human beings again".-----.